Ugly loss for Patriots at home to Steelers, 33-10

Associated Press (AP) photoPittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison moves in on New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel before stripping the ball while sacking him during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008. The Steelers recovered the ball on the play.

In Week 3, the Patriots were thrashed at home by the Dolphins' Wildcat offense, 38-13. Following the game, coach Bill Belichick called it a "total team loss" and struggled to name a bright spot, or silver lining.

Well, toss Week 13 into the same New England trash-heap.

In the second half especially, the ugliness of the Patriots' collective execution made Sunday evening's weather look dry and mild by comparison.

The game started well for the home-side, as Mike Vrabel's interception set up short distance for the Patriots' lone touchdown. But for most of the rest of the 60 minutes, the offense kept stepping on its toes and the defense couldn't get off the field.

In terms of scoreboard-watching, AFC East foes New York and Buffalo lost, but other AFC competitors Miami, Indianapolis, and Baltimore won Sunday. Already struggling for playoff contention due to tiebreaker scenarios, New England took a disconcerting step backward with the loss. It was the third time this season the Patriots lost by 20 or more points.

As a team, the minus-4 turnover ratio was, of course, the big statistic, as it helped Pittsburgh to a 35-25 minute possession-time advantage. New England also lost the third-down battle badly, as the Steelers converted eight of 16 opportunities, while the Patriots were just one for 13.

Individually, a number of players had poor games. Deltha O'Neal was a single-coverage throwing target, while Mike Wright, most often holding up the left side of New England's defensive line, was run against rather well. On the flip side, Matt Light, left on his own to block James Harrison, was twice beaten by speed on plays that resulted in strip-sack turnovers.

Certainly the best Patriot on the field was Kevin Faulk, who led the team in rushing yards (73) and receiving yards (48).

It was another total team loss for a group - with four regular season games remaining - that cannot afford another.